Sloppy, Hugs and More
A quick look at some of baseball’s lesser knowns
Bygone baseball: The unfamiliar, the unusual, the dramatic
By C. Philip Francis
Sloppy
Hollis John Thurston, better known as Sloppy, pitched for several teams in the 1920’s and early ‘30’s. He came from Fremont, Nebraska, and with an amusing nickname like Sloppy, one would think that he was a hick straight out of the cornfield. Not so. Sloppy was a Jazz Era dandy and a meticulous dresser. His father was a restaurateur who often dished out free soup to the poor, and Hollis earned his sobriquet of “Sloppy” after occasionally spilling hot soup on some of his father’s customers.
The curveballing right-hander from America’s heartland won 89 games while losing 86. His best year was when he won 20 for the last place White Sox in 1924, and once fanned the side on nine pitches. Arm problems, however, slowed down his throwing effectiveness. Thurston was sent back to the minors for the 1928 and 1929 seasons, but the Dodgers brought him back in 1930. Sloppy tied a Major League record held by four others when he gave up six home runs in one game. .
He had a batting average over .300 four times, and a career batting average of .270 making him one of the best hitting pitchers in the game. After retiring from the game, Thurston became a scout, and recruited Ralph Kiner for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He died in 1973 at the age of 74.
HUGS
First baseman Zeke Bonura was long ball threat for the Chicago White Sox in his rookie year of 1934 when he hit 27 homers. In his seven-year ML career with the Sox, Washington Senators, and New York Giants, Zeke never reached that number although he did retire with 119 home runs.
With little interest in any ground balls that went his way, his lack of defensive prowess had the fans closing their eyes making him a trial for both manager and crowd. For instance, when he did grab a ground ball, Zeke would wave off the pitcher, and then lose to the batter on their race to first base. Often he just watched the ball go by. If there was ever an oxymoron, it was Zeke. He actually led the American League in fielding three times, but it was his reluctance to improve his glove work that kept him from becoming more than a fair ballplayer.
Affectionately known as “Banana Nose”, Zeke was born as Henry John in New Orleans in 1908. He became a fan favorite with his outspoken ways, good hitting, and unorthodox playing style. Zeke had a problem understanding signs. When playing with the White Sox Manager Jimmy Dykes flashed a bunt sign. The six-foot, 210 pound infielder had so much trouble reading Dyke’s signals, the manager yelled out, “Bunt, you meathead. Bunt! Bunt! B-U-N-T.” After rumors surfaced in 1938 that Bonura was romantically involved with the daughter of White Sox owner, J. Louis Comiskey, Zeke was immediately traded to the Washington Senators.
After Zeke departed former skipper Dykes did not change the signs knowing that Bonura couldn’t remember them anyway. Zeke did surprise everyone when he recalled one sign. Wearing a Senators uniform he was perched on third when he saw Dykes swat at a mosquito, and that meant steal. The big guy took off for home, knocked the ball away from the catcher, and had stolen one of his 19 career thefts. Afterwards, he said, “I saw Dykes give the sign to steal, but forget I wasn’t on his team anymore.”
His number one fan was President Franklin Roosevelt’s vice-president, John Nance Garner, who loved baseball and spent much of his time at Griffith Stadium. After touching the plate following a home run, the Veep had Bonura ran over for a hug and handshake. Zeke finished his playing years after the 1940 season with a .307 batting average. He died in 1987 at the age of 78.
HEADHUNTING
Pitcher Jack Schappert of the St. Louis Browns appeared in only 15 big league games in 1882, but his affinity for hitting batters caused a major rule change. In an attempt to protect their players, team owners urged the Browns’ Chris Von der Ahe to dump Schappert after the season. Whatever the reason, the pitcher never returned. Two years later the batters were awarded first base after struck by a pitched ball, a rule that remains in effect today. .
THE FIRST
The first pitcher to throw a no-hitter at today’s mound distance of sixty feet and six inches was Baltimore’s Bill Hawke on August 16, 1893 beating Washington 5-0. No pitcher was able to keep their opponents hitless for the next four years, the longest gap of no no-hitters in major league history. Hawke won 16 of his 31 total victories that year, was gone before the next season opened, and died eight years later.